Nay, she was not nervous. In a fact, beautiful blonde woman, vision of perfection, was calm, too calm. She shouldn't be calm. She should be angry, sad, anything just not calm. She should miss Greg, Sara, Nick, Morgan and Hodges, she should miss mom and dad, she should miss people from day shift, hell she should even miss Ecklie and that ugly Barbara Russell.

But instead of feeling anything, she just stood there, dressed in skinny, ripped, light blue jeans that fit her snugly, wearing white sleeveless shirt tucked in her trousers, revealing tattoo of dragon wrapping itself on her forearm. Her feet sported high heeled,white, simple shoes and she held her white Gucci purse. Her hair fell down her shoulders, slightly wavy.
She just stood there as if nothing happened. But she had hard time convincing herself that there was nothing to be excited about.
She just left her high post at LV Crime Lab, she left her mother in coma behind and she left everything she had in Las Vegas for what? She didn't know that yet. And she tried to control her breathing and emotions as she waited for someone to pick her up and show her around.

She couldn't help herself but compare Seattle, Las Vegas and Miami. Seattle was rainy city and sun didn't shine very often. Weather in Miami was nice, warm, but it was nothing compared to terrible drought in Las Vegas.

Miami was beautiful, breathtaking and lively city but Las Vegas with its bustling activity no matter what daytime it was, was overhelming. For moment she did not wonder if she will fit in with the team, she just admired everything in here.

She blinked and sighed and admitted that she missed Vegas, almost everything about it, but Miami was beautiful, and she was almost ready to begin new life once again.

Lara was in the lobby of the Police Department and she found herself a bit out of sorts this morning.
She tussle with the files nestled in her arms, trying to prevent them from falling to the ground as they slide out of place as she made her way to the elevator.

It was unusual for Lara to be out of sorts without a particular reason for it, and it was not usual for her to still be at the department, heading for the Crime Lab, this time in the morning. She was normally in the field already, processing a scene and collecting evidence with one or more of the team, and she would have already swapped the customary ‘good mornings’ with Horatio before now, but he was already out on a call with Ryan, Eric and Caliegh and she had not spoken to him yet. Maybe that was the problem.

Lara stepped into the empty elevator, she firmly gripped the uncooperative folders in one arm, freeing her hand to press the button.

Lara had a bearing of humble certainty about her as she walked down the glass and steel corridors that she had come to know rather well over the past few months as a CSI. Her long, brown hair fixed in the professional, yet feminine half-up/half down style that she very often wore.

Lara arrived at the Crime Lab and set the files on the table. She put on her lab coat, snapped on a pair of latex gloves and proceeded with her work.

She sighed heavily, but this sound was only heard in her mind, because on the outsides, she remained professionally calm.

Heaving spotted some brunette CSI just moment ago, she headed out on search for her, hoping she might show her around or something.

Her high heels made click clack sound as they landed on cold floor and she headed towards lab where she spotted brown haired woman.

She knocked softly entered with unemotional mask on her face. „Excuse me, my name is Angeletta Finlay-Russell and I am kind of new in here. I was told somebody shall see me, but nobody came so...

She trailed off with soft smile plastered on her face.

Lara looked up at Angeletta as she came through the door into the lab.

Lara’s eyes widened ever so slightly as she realized what she had done when Angeletta introduced herself and explained that she had been waiting for someone...that someone being Lara. “Oh, I am so sorry.” Lara began in slight disarray, “That was my fault, I was supposed too...” Lara started, then cut off in order to get to the point of welcoming the new team member before she started rambling.

Lara pulled off a glove and shook Angeletta’s hand as she introduced herself, “I’m Lara, Lara DunCroft, CSI.” Lara composed herself and gave Angeletta a friendly smile, “it’s nice to meet you Miss Russell. And on behalf of everybody, welcome to the team.”
Lara removed the other glove and took her lab coat back off, “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

With that Lara led Angeletta back into the corridor and the pair made a start for the AV Lab.

She smiled softly, her face not really betraying anything. Finn looked at young woman, quietly working her psychlogical skills, which was habit she wasn't able to get rid off.

''It is quite alright Ms. DunCroft, I used to do things like this too, it is in our nature, I guess and it is very nice to meet you as well.'' She squeezed other woman's hand firmly when she let it go, she followed her and looked at the big lab. ''It is beautiful here, altough nothing..'' Her voice broke a little, but she quickly covered it by cough. ''...nothing like Las Vegas Crime Lab.''

“Please, call me Lara.” She told Angeletta with a friendly smile. “Oh, you worked in Vegas?” Lara said with a light spark of enthusiasm and camaraderie in her voice, “I got my badge in Vegas when I first emigrated, before I transferred here and eventually became a CSI.” She said, making conversation as they walked along.

The pair arrived at the AV Lab and Lara introduced Angeletta to the staff member that was on duty and then she showed her how everything worked.
“So how long have you been in Miami?” Lara asked her casually.

After that Lara showed Angeletta around the Trace Lab introducing her to Natalia Boa Vista. She than took her to Fire Arms where she introduced her to Calleigh Duquesne and then Lara went on to show her the Morgue, introducing her to Dr. Tom Loman, as well as the rest of the PD, introducing her to Frank Tripp along the way.

She smiled her gentle smile, she already liked Lara, she seemed to be good person. She adjusts her shirt and tucks away strand of wavy blonde hair.

„Well, you can call me Finn, or Letta. And yes, I worked in Vegas. I was born in Seattle, but my mother and I moved to Vegas, and I studied Psychology and Forensic Investigation. I worked as Assistant Shift Supervisor. Maybe you know one of my parents, but I doubt that.“

She tenses slightly when she mentions her parents, but she covered it quickly. She nodded and smiled at people she was introduced to. This lab was full of nice people.

„I arrived yesterday, I had to finish case.“

“I don’t know, who are our parents?” Lara asked very casually, off Letta’s comment. She knew, as Angeletta had said, that it was doubtful but it made friendly conversation while the pair made their way back to Crime Lab, and it would be another thing the pair would have in common if she did in fact know them.

“Oh, you just got here. then.” Lara commented, she was unaware that Angeletta had only just so recently came to Miami.

The pair got to the elevator and Lara was paged. “Well, it looks like we’re putting you straight to work.” Lara said with a light smile looking down at the pager on her belt as the elevator doors closed, “There is some evidence in the Crime Lab that Lt. Caine wants us to process.” Lara finished, giving Letta an encouraging smile.

The elevator doors opened and Lara stepped off, she went to the Crime Lab and the evidence was waiting on the table in sealed bags and boxes.
Lara put her lab coat back on and slipped on a pair of gloves, “Alright, dig in.” She said to Letta with a reassuring smile.

Angeletta smiled, put on gloves, coat, pulled her long wavy hair into smooth ponytail and threw her Gucci purse away. „Excellent, I cannot last long without doing my job.“

She worked quickly and precisely, knowing exactly what to do.

„Well, my father is D.B. Russell, supervisor of graveyard shift. My mother is Julie Finlay, his assistant. And yes, I was having doubts whether to come here or not.“

She bent down and scribbled something and than she looked up again. Her phone rang quickly and she pulled it out of her pocket and she saw it was message from Sara Sidle. It read: Hey, you got to Miami alright? She grinned and replied shortly. Yes, I did, give Nick kiss from me Talk to you later, have to work.

With that she began to do her work again.

Lara was usually one to keep an even expression on her face and not let her thought or emotions show when she was around someone that she was not close to, but a broad smile instinctively grew on her attractively full lips when Angeletta said the name D.B. Russell, “I do know him actually.” She said with a touch of enthusiasm in her voice, “Well, I don’t know him extremely well, I only met him a few times.” She said. “When I was just an officer back in Vegas I was interested in CSI work and where I often worked nights I kind of made friends with this lab tech, Jeremy Watts, perhaps you’ve met him, he has insomnia, never really goes home, is a little weird? Anyway, um, I was hanging out in his lab after my shift, he introduced me to a couple of the night shift CSI’s and the team let me shadow them on a few cases, see how everything works, and I spent a little time with your dad in the lab. He was very nice to me, He was actually the one who showed me how DNA is put through the machine for a comparison.” Lara recounted with a touch of fondness.
“I actually think he put in a good word for me down here, on the quite, when I applied for a transfer into CSI work.”

As the girls worked Lara noticed Angeletta receive a message, “Your loved ones checking up on you?” Lara asked casually, in a friendly tone.  
It was what her family had done when she first moved from England to Vegas, and it was what they still done almost every night either by phone, text or email.

(Ooc: just a friendly note to make sure that you are aware, this site has a min 150 word for IN Character post, which can be found in The Rules .)

She smiled gently, and did some work, her lips turning down after while as her smile was not quite honest. Her voice was quiet but loud at the same time and she gave little cough.

Out of the blue, her eyes welled with tears and she turned away quickly, wiped them and turned back, but her grayish-blue eyes she got from her father were still wet and bit sparkly.

„Well, I worked days, but I often stayed at nights, so I worked with them both. And Watts, Watts yes, I do know him. He is nice, when you get through his weirdness. I actually did not want to go here, but my father told me I should. It was our first non-work related talk after years, when I do not count fights in.“

She looked at Lara and her lips tuned up and down. „Oh, not exactly. It was Sara Sidle, my friend from night shift. I never spoke to my father much. We lived in Seattle and everything was awesome, until my mommy screwed up at work one day. He kicked her out, or rather, asked her to leave. And I than  learned he has family. Wife, two kids and granddaughter. I hated them, I hated him. For everything he has done to me, to my mom.“  

She paused for a bit and than she spoke up again. She trusted this woman and she knew she will make good friend somewhere in the future.

„Well, we lived our lives, but they were never the same. Me and my mom moved to Vegas, and when she was on one seminar, he asked her to work for him. He turned up out of blue, like nothing ever happened, he...and his zen „thing“. My mom accepted. But it was so hard for her, for me, I saw him after so many years and he just expect we will be okay, after he treated me and mommy like we were nothing. I first saw his family when I worked as Victoria's Secret angel. I was opening the Alice in Wonderland show and I looked at my mom, and he was there, with his kids, his wife, his granddaughter. I was so pissed....after the show, I just walked up to him, still in the underwear and slapped him....

She laughed, but it was cracked laughter, full of pain, disgust, disappointment, anger, sadness.

Oh, excuse me, we have just met and I am already bothering you with my life story, I am not usually so emotional, I keep things for myself, but this has been getting up on me for so long and I never really had someone to talk to, when I do not count my mom, and I guess I just trust you, because I am one to keep my privacy, ussualy....

(OOC: Yes, I know, thanks for reminder )

Lara was a little uncomfortable as Angeletta opened up and shared about her past and her family history, although she tried not to let it show and just listened to her new colleague with a non judgemental ear. “That couldn’t have been easy for you.” was her sincere but politically apathetic response as Angeletta spoke about her past and her feelings.

Lara was not one who easily opened up, but she usually did not mind lending an ear to somebody who needed to talk. “That’s okay...” Lara replied when Angeletta apologized for suddenly opening up like that , “...We all need someone to talk to sometimes.” She finished, with weakly forced smile.
She did not know D.B that well, but in the time that she had spent learning from him, she had developed a sincere respect for him and saw him as a mentor of sorts, she was rather disappointed to learn of his past indiscretions from Angeletta, if they were true, though as usual she tried her best to mask her feelings, but a hint of disappointment still seeped through into her expression and demeanour.

Lara knew that there was at least two sides to every story...and that every body makes mistakes. It was not her place to judge.

Lara moved on to the next piece of evidence as she tried to shake her disappointment. She noticed a small green chip in the mangled pocket watch she was processing, she gently plucked it out with tweezers and held it up to the light, “What do you think that is?” She asked Angeletta curiously. It seemed to be a fragment of some kind of leaf, but it was not a species that Lara recognized right off, although it was a rather small piece to try to identify by eye.

She closed herself again and shrugged, she was feeling uncomfortable now, not really OK with herself. She tucked away stray piece of hair away and put her mask back on.
''Well, he is good man, but everybody has dark sides, as my mum puts it. We just have to wait to see them in daylight.''

She closed the topic and moved to look at the piece of leaf Lara was holding. She put it under microscope and took a look. Than her lips quirked up.
''Well, it looks like rosemary. Where on earth did you find this stuff....I saw this under microscope when I was on elementary school. Good in kitchen, but nothing else...''

“I found it in a pocket watch.” Lara replied to Letta’s question, with a slightly mystified tone.
Lara looked at Letta, her brow faintly ruffled with a mixture of curiosity and mild amusement, her eye’s turned back to the speck of rosemary, “How do you think it ended up in there?” The question was more rhetorical than anything.

Lara phoned H and told him about the rosemary discovery and updated him on everything else that she and Letta had found so far.

“Okay. Yes, Sir. We’re on our way.” Lara hung up and turned to Letta. “Are you ready to get out of the lab?” Lara asked Letta with a reassuring smile, “Lt. Cain wants us to check out the Rosemary lead.” She continued, “He wants us to start by going to the crime scene.” She finished as she took off her white lab coat and put on her jacket.

(Ooc: Sorry for the delay)

She took of her coat and let her blonde hair go loose. Finn quickly put her psychlogic skills to good use.
She grinned and grabbed her purse. ''Of course I am. Honestly, I missef being in field those three days I didn't work. And, as to answer your question, we have several option.''

She paused and thought. ''Do we know what the victim did for living, because, if he was a gardener, or a cook, or his wife was...but...'' She paused dramatically. ''it could have been left by murderer, altough it doesn't make any sense. But, when murders do make sense - almost never.''

“Well there is only one way to find out.” Lara said, before heading out of the door.

Lara and Letta arrived at the cordoned off crime scene. It was a square by the docks that was used as an outdoor marketplace in the mornings, for seafood, fresh produce as well as various non food merchandise.

Lara ducked under the tape, placed her kit down and took a quick visual scan of the scene from where she stood. The area was quiet, not surprising at this time of day as the whole area was usually at it’s busiest in the morning when the market was open for trade...and when there was not a cordoned off crime scene in the middle of it.

The shooting had occurred as the market was winding down at it’s customary closing time.

Lara scanned over the trading stalls, some had been packed up and reduced to their metal framework, some were still set up just as they were the moment the shooting took place as if they had been frozen in time, while other stalls seemed to be halfway between the two.
She noted the spot where the victim had been shot and she scanned over the crime scene markers that where strewn around the scene, “Where do you want to start?” Lara asked, as Letta came up beside her.

She looked over the scene with a small smile plastered on her face. She was so surprised at how was this crime common. Well....as common as crime can be.

''Uhh..I will dust the stuff for prints, if you don't mind.''

She states and after fixig her sunglasses,she pulls on her gloves and proceeds to do her job as well as she can.

''Well, I guess the times when I solved cursed room, or the victims with button eyes are long gone.''

She smiles and takes some print, storing it for later use, she straightens and tucks away stray strand of wavy hair.

''And so I won't forget, what do we know.''

''Uhh, I don't know...I will dust the stuff for prints,if you don't mind.''

With that, she pulled on gloves and fixed her sunglasses. She proceeded to do her job as well as she could, and enjoyed it.

''Well, I guess the time when I solved cursed room and button eyes cases is long gone. And, so I won't forget, what do we know.''

“The victims name is Don brocket...” Lara began when Letta asked what they knew so far.
Lara pulled out the case file and looked at it as she stood there, “No criminal record, no obvious enemies...He was standing over by that stall when he was suddenly shot at with no warning...” Lara said pointing at the crime scene marker that indicated the spot where the victim was shot. “Witness statements indicate that three shots where fired, originating from that direction." Lara said pointing to a general area, the csi’s had still not been able to pinpointed exactly where in that area the shot had been fired from. “Everyone ducked or scampered when the shots went off, meaning than no one saw the shooter, or no one that we have questioned anyway. It was pretty busy here at the time and H is pretty sure that there are a few more witnesses than we have interviewed.” Lara informed Letta. She lifted up a page in the file and continued, “One bullet hit the victim’s pocket watch, preventing it from penetrating his body, but another bullet hit him a little above the hip. He was taken to hospital but died a few hours later. We talked to him before he died and he said that he didn’t see anything, and he has no idea who shot him or why.” Lara finished, then closed the file, “Which means that we have no idea who the shooter is.” She commented expressionlessly.

She kept her face void of everything as Lara informed her. She replayed new informations again and again and absorbed whole crime scene.

Her brain worked fast and hard, piecing all informations together.
Letta voiced her own mantra inside her head. WWMD,WWMD.....what would mom do.

''Fine, to put this bluntly, we know nothing. The victim could be a chef or something, that would explain the rosemary. But than again, we can be sure about nothing. Tell me, do the hospital rooms have cameras in,

While Letta worked on the fingerprints, Lara hovered around the spot where the victim had been shot, she looked at all of the abandoned stalls, and using the crime scene photos and her imagination, she mentally recreated the scene in her mind how everything was and where everyone was standing the morning the shooting took place.

“No, he wasn’t a chef. He ran the modeling department for ‘Luster’ magazine.” She told her new colleague.
“And he wasn’t near the stall that was selling rosemary...” Lara enlightened Letta as she continued visioning the scene how it was that morning. Strange indeed.
“Um, I’m not sure. I don’t think so though.” Lara answered Letta uncertain, when she asked if there where cameras in the hospital rooms. Lara was defiantly very intrigued by the question. “There are cameras in the reception areas and in the corridors, but I don’t there are usually any in the patients rooms. Why?” Lara asked, she was very curious to know what Letta was thinking.

She scanned the scene once more, her brain working fast and hard. She finished fingerprints rather quickly, and though she knew they won't probably have much use, Finn hid them.

She straightened and put her sunglasses on, scanning the scene yet again.

''A magazine...huh, if our victim isn't a chef, we are looking for one, or perhaps we are looking for crazy old lady selling flowers like rosemary.''

She said without any tracy of humor in her voice.

''Ah, yes the cameras. You see, I'm a psychologist, behaviorist, to be exact. If I could see the recording, I could tell you wether he lied or not.''

“Uh.” Lara said with a thin smile, understanding what Letta was thinking, “If you can see him, you can read his body language. Nice thinking.” She replied with an encouraging smile, impressed with the idea on a professional level.
“Hang on, I’ll call and find out.” Lara said to Letta, then she pulled her phone out of her back pocket and called Ryan. “Hey, Ryan. Are you still at the hospital?” She asked him casually, “You are, Great. Could you see if the vic’s room had a camera in it?...Uh-huh, Yeah. If there is, could you get the tape over to the lab and give Letta a call? She has an Idea...Okay, thanks.” Lara put her phone away and looked to Letta. “Ryan’s gonna see if there was a camera, if there is, he’ll have the tape sent to the lab and give you a call to let you know.”

She stood on one place, thinking, absorbed in thoughts. She looked up with her grey eyes and smiled. „Oh, thank you, but that was nothing.“
While Lara was calling Ryan, her mind drifted off to time when she solved her first case, all because sho got idea similar to this.

She arrived home late, night shift has already started and she avoided her father as much as she could, being glad she didn't know she worked there. Her mum has gotten night off and she expected her to be gone, in the city or something, as she was practically vampire.
To her immense surprise, she was greeted by a sight of her mother moving in kitchen. „Ma, what is that supposed to be?“ Her mom turned with wide smile and rushed to give her a hug of hers that never failed to make younger Finn feel better. She didn't get hug like this for a long time and she felt awful that her and her mother, the single most precious thing in her life, were drifting apart. So she welcomed the hug and felt better when she smelt lavender, something that was uniquely her mother. „Well, you have solved your first case! And hard one! I am very proud of you sweetie...“

She shook herself out of the lovely flashback with tear in corner of her eye. She wiped it and turned to face Lara. „Great, thanks. Now, we just have to hope he was lying, or we are lost.“

After about five minutes, Letta’s phone began to ring. “Hey, It’s Ryan. Lara asked me to call you if I get the video tapes. If you head back to the lab now, Eric should be there with them by the time you arrive.”

Lara Looked over to Letta as if to politely ask her, “Well?”, “What did he say?”
Lara was good at reading people and their body language herself, well most people anyway, it was a skill that her life and past experiences had required her to developed and it was a skill that was crucial and invaluable in her line of work, but she was very interested in seeing a professional at work. Lara had seen it portrayed countless times in tv shows and movies, and she had read about in a few article and books, but she was looking forwards to seeing it done in real life, especially when said professional would have the luxury of being able to study, review and rewind the footage as much as she needed, unlike being face to face with a suspect where you have to study them in real time. This was going to be very interesting for Lara’s sometimes overly curious side, as well as a great learning experience for here. After all, Lara was given to understand that Letta had several notable cases under her belt.